Injury Notes: Davis, Duren, Rockets, Warriors, Jazz
Mavericks big man Anthony Davis returned to action on Thursday vs. Philadelphia following a two-game absence due to a groin strain. Head coach Jason Kidd said the 10-time All-Star would immediately resume his normal workload, relays Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
“We always want him to play, so we’re happy to have him back,” Kidd said. “We’ll see — 30 to 34 minutes. We want to get him some touches. Offensively and defensively, we need him to be AD.”
Davis has been one of the biggest names in trade rumors for several weeks.
Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- Pistons center Jalen Duren suffered a right ankle sprain late in the second quarter of Thursday’s loss to Miami. While he was on the court to open the second half, he was moving gingerly and quickly asked for a sub before being formally ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link via the team). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff indicated that Duren would likely undergo additional testing, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.
- The Rockets got Alperen Sengun back from a left soleus (calf) strain on Thursday, but were missing backup centers Steven Adams (right ankle sprain) and Clint Capela (illness) in the victory at Brooklyn, notes Will Guillory of The Athletic (via Twitter). Sengun missed two games with the injury, though head coach Ime Udoka said it wasn’t serious.
- The Warriors are resting Draymond Green for Friday’s matchup vs. Oklahoma City, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s the front end of a back-to-back for Golden State, which faces Utah on Saturday. Guards Stephen Curry (left ankle sprain) and De’Anthony Melton (left knee injury management) are questionable for Friday’s game against the Thunder, while centers Al Horford (right sciatic nerve irritation) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (right pattellar tendonitis) are probable to suit up against the defending champions.
- The Jazz only have nine players active for Thursday’s contest at the Clippers. Among the noteworthy players out are Lauri Markkanen (left knee contusion), Keyonte George (illness), Jusuf Nurkic (left big toe sprain) and Ace Bailey (left hip flexor strain), per the league’s official injury report.
Jazz Notes: Nurkic, Love, Core Four, George
The Jazz raised eyebrows over the summer when they attached a second-round pick to Collin Sexton in a trade with Charlotte for center Jusuf Nurkic. However, Nurkic has played a larger role than anticipated due to Walker Kessler‘s season-ending shoulder injury, making 24 starts (and counting) and averaging 25.4 minutes per contest. In the process, he has made a positive impression on his teammates and his head coach, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.
“Nurk helps us create an advantage in a way that no one else does,” coach Will Hardy said. “His screening, his ability to get his teammates open — and I think he’s done a better job of rolling and making himself available, but more than that, his teammates have rewarded him … But his physicality in general, his screening, rebounding, is unique in our league. Like, he’s in a category almost all by himself, in terms of the way that he can help you create advantage.”
As Todd points out, when Nurkic has found himself in less-than-favorable situations, he hasn’t been shy about expressing his frustrations publicly, as he did a year ago in Phoenix. But he sounds very happy to be in Utah, raving about the support he has gotten from Hardy and telling reporters that the Jazz have made him feel “wanted” (Twitter video link via JP Chunga).
“I can’t really stress enough how this organization is good,” Nurkic said. “… Me and Kevin (Love) talk every day to the young guys that we have a such a great thing here. (They) don’t understand how it is somewhere else … This is such a great environment, and you have everything you need to succeed.”
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- An apparent throw-in in the three-team trade that sent Norman Powell to the Heat and John Collins to the Clippers, Love has played more than expected for the Jazz this season after considering pursuing a buyout during the offseason, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Love, who averaged 10.9 minutes per game in Miami last season, has averaged 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per night on .413/.370/.769 shooting in December. “He’s an elite rebounder, and so those things continue to show up,” Hardy said in explaining Love’s role. “And then obviously, just kind of his general savvy in his 18th year — he’s gotten a little more familiar with his teammates, and I think his spacing element gives us a different look.”
- The Jazz appear to have a “core four” of Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and Kessler, according to Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who explores what sort of player might complement that unit as a fifth option. Observing that the group could use a defensive-minded wing, Larsen suggests that Utah should be targeting a player in the mold of Luguentz Dort, Herbert Jones, Tari Eason, or Matisse Thybulle — not necessarily at this year’s trade deadline, but in general going forward.
- In a story for The Deseret News, Todd sets “New Year’s resolutions” for the Jazz, explaining what each player on Utah’s roster should be focused on in 2026.
- In case you missed it, George was nominated for the Western Conference’s Player of the Week award for a second consecutive week on Monday.
Afseth’s Latest: Spurs, Giannis, J. Johnson, Jazz, Bey
The Spurs have flashed tantalizing potential this season with a 21-7 start and a run to the NBA Cup championship game, but league sources who spoke to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal don’t expect San Antonio to make the sort of significant in-season trade that would compromise the club’s future flexibility.
“They’re not going to sit around being satisfied, but I don’t see them making a move like trading for Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” a source told Afseth. “There are more reasonable options out there. They can be patient and opportunistic.”
According to Afseth, the expectation is that the Spurs will focus on internal growth of their young core this season while preserving their most valuable long-term assets. Still, he says some rival teams have wondered whether San Antonio would be willing to sacrifice some of those assets for another high-level role player who would complement the current group.
“They have the assets to make a trade like Orlando did to add Desmond Bane,” a source said. “It’d have to be someone that fits their timeline. Someone like a Trey Murphy III, for example, could be a strong fit.”
Here are a few more items of interest from Afseth’s latest round-up:
- If Antetokounmpo is made available this season, many of the top suitors for the Bucks star are expected to be Eastern Conference clubs, says Afseth. That group includes the Heat, Knicks, Hawks, and Raptors, though rival executives are skeptical that New York would want to break up its roster during the season and Atlanta isn’t expected to make forward Jalen Johnson available, Afseth notes.
- While both Afseth and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) say that hanging onto their top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick is a priority for the Jazz, Fischer writes that Utah also wants to “establish a winning environment” sooner rather than later. Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George – along with 2026 restricted free agent Walker Kessler – are viewed as cornerstones for the Jazz, with Kyle Anderson, Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Love, and Georges Niang considered potential in-season trade candidates, per Afseth. Afseth adds that both management and ownership have confidence that Will Hardy is the right head coach to guide the team out of its rebuilding stage.
- Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey is increasingly piquing the interest of teams in need of help on the wing, according to Afseth, who published a full story on Sunday examining Bey’s return to action this season following a torn ACL. The 26-year-old is averaging 15.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 29.5 minutes per game through 29 outings (21 starts) for New Orleans.
Fischer’s Latest: Centers, Vucevic, Davis, Sabonis, Isaac
There will likely be several veteran big men available on the trade market ahead of this season’s February 5 deadline, Jake Fischer writes in his latest article for Marc Stein’s Substack.
As Fischer details, the Nets are expected to receive calls about center Nic Claxton, the Suns have made Nick Richards available since the offseason, and the Trail Blazers are considered more open to moving Robert Williams than they were last season. Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic is also expected to generate some interest from rival teams, per Fischer, though I’m skeptical Utah will be able to extract much of value for Nurkic, given his $19.4MM cap hit.
One of the more intriguing in-season trade candidates among frontcourt players could be Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who has an expiring $21.5MM contract and has remained productive at age 35, with averages of 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game to go along with a .495/.407/.786 shooting line.
While Vucevic could generate interest on his own, Fischer suggests that rival executives have wondered whether the Bulls might make a play for a big man like Anthony Davis of the Mavericks or Domantas Sabonis of the Kings, given all the expiring money and cap flexibility Chicago has at its disposal.
Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:
- There’s an “expectation in some corners” that Davis and his representatives will seek a contract extension if he’s traded to a new team in the coming months, Fischer writes. Davis’ current maximum-salary contract with the Mavericks runs through 2026/27, with a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28. If he hopes to lock in another lucrative deal that would begin in 2028, when he’ll be 35, Davis would probably have to stay relatively healthy and play at his usual All-Star level this season after he returns from a calf strain.
- Fischer is skeptical that the Warriors will be a major factor in any Sabonis sweepstakes, pointing out that Golden State would have likely have to add multiple quality role players to Jonathan Kuminga‘s $22.5MM contract in order to match Sabonis’ $42.3MM salary. The Warriors did show interest in Sabonis before Indiana traded him in 2022, but Fischer doesn’t think the club is desperate enough to “tear up its roster” for the Kings big man at this point, especially since he’s not a floor spacer or rim protector.
- According to Fischer, rival cap strategists believe the Magic‘s cap situation may force the team to part ways at some point with forward Jonathan Isaac, whose four-year, $59MM contract is partially guaranteed in 2026/27 and non-guaranteed beyond that. While it’s unclear whether Orlando would make Isaac available during the ’25/26 season, he’s a name worth keeping an eye on, Fischer says.
Northwest Notes: Kessler, Lillard, Wolves, Thunder
The Jazz lost Walker Kessler to a season-ending shoulder injury at the end of last month. It has greatly affected their defense, as Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune details.
Jusuf Nurkic has been thrust into the starting center role and while he’s a prolific rebounder, he’s a subpar defender. Kevin Love, 37, has been Nurkic’s primary backup and the only other option is to move true power forwards into that spot. Utah has allowed 130 or more points in six of its last nine games.
Kessler will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, so if the Jazz keep struggling mightily on defense without him available, his representatives could use that point to generate some leverage during contract negotiations.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Trail Blazers defeated Milwaukee on Monday after losing seven of their previous nine games. Damian Lillard, rehabbing this season from his Achilles injury he suffered during last season’s playoffs, has been dispensing advice to his younger teammates during the rough patch, Jason Quick of The Athletic writes. “I told these dudes: this is the time when you find your true identity,” Lillard said. “It’s not when you win a couple games and everything feels good. It’s in the moments when it would be easy to walk away — like now, we have some injuries, a rough patch, a tough schedule — but this is the time when you make a decision to march forward and up.”
- The Timberwolves have collapsed in back-to-back late-game situations. After surrendering a nine-point lead with 50 seconds to play in Phoenix on Saturday, they gave away a 10-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation during a 117-112 overtime loss to the Kings on Monday. This has set off alarm bells amongst the team and its fans and The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski examines some possible causes to their crunch-time woes. “Hopefully we learn,” center Rudy Gobert said. “We still have an amazing opportunity ahead of us, but we have to decide who we want to be.”
- How good has the Thunder’s defense been this season? The Athletic’s Fred Katz (Twitter link) notes that they are allowing 7.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than the second-ranked Mavericks are. That’s the same difference as the gap between Dallas and the No. 22 ranked Bulls in that category.
Walker Kessler To Undergo Tests On Left Shoulder
Walker Kessler been sent back to Utah to undergo additional tests on his left shoulder, reports Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
Kessler missed much of the preseason with left shoulder bursitis, but has been able to play in all five of the Jazz‘s games so far this season, posting career highs in points (14.4), assists (3.0), and steals (1.4) per game while also contributing 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per night.
The fourth-year center has been Utah’s third-leading scorer in addition to being the anchor of the defense, and is making an effort to expand his shooting range — if his rate of 1.6 three-point attempts per game keeps up, it would represent a significant increase on his previous career high (0.6).
Kessler is in a contract year after failing to come to terms on a rookie scale extension with Utah this offseason. He will become a restricted free agent this summer.
Shoulder bursitis is the result of damage or irritation to the bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs that cushion the area between the rotator cuff and scapula.
Larsen notes (via Twitter) that Jusuf Nurkic will start tonight against his former team, the Hornets, and will likely remain in the starting five for the remaining three games of the road trip, against the Celtics, Pistons, and Timberwolves.
Nurkic is currently averaging 7.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in just 17.2 minutes per night for the Jazz.
Knockout Round Set For EuroBasket; Spain Fails To Qualify
Led by a double-double from Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (15 points, 12 rebounds), Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Georgia by a score of 84-76 on Thursday morning to become the 15th team to qualify for the EuroBasket knockout round, as Michalis Gioulenoglou of Eurohoops writes.
Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili finished with a game-high 20 points for Georgia.
Despite the loss, Georgia became the 16th and final team to qualify for the round of 16 later in the day after Spain fell to Greece, FIBA announced (via Twitter). Led by Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had a team-high 25 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists, Greece eked out a 90-86 victory to claim the top spot in Group C.
Spain and Georgia finished with identical 2-3 records in Group C and Spain had a far better point differential (+43 vs. -19), but the Georgians defeated the Spaniards in their head-to-head matchup, earning the tiebreaker.
It’s a disappointing exit for the defending champions — the Spanish national team has been a perennial powerhouse in both European and international competitions, having won four of the previous six EuroBasket tournaments, including the most recent one in 2022. According to Armando Caporaso of Sportando (Twitter link), it has been nearly 50 years since Spain failed to advance past the first stage of the tournament (1977).
The matchups and the full bracket for the EuroBasket’s single-elimination round of 16 have now been set. The breakdown is as follows:
- First quarter of bracket:
- Lithuania (B2) vs. Latvia (A3)
- Greece (C1) vs. Israel (D4)
- Second quarter:
- Turkey (A1) vs. Sweden (B4)
- Poland (D2) vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (C3)
- Third quarter:
- Germany (B1) vs. Portugal (A4)
- Italy (C2) vs. Slovenia (D3)
- Fourth quarter:
- Serbia (A2) vs. Finland (B3)
- France (D1) vs. Georgia (C4)
The win-or-go-home games involving teams from Groups A and B will take place on Saturday, while the teams in Groups C and D will square off on Sunday. The full schedule for the weekend, including tip-off times, can be viewed here.
The quarterfinals in the top half of the bracket will be played next Tuesday, followed by the quarterfinals from the bottom half of the bracket on Wednesday. The teams that come out of the first and second quarters will face one another in one of the semifinals next Friday, while the winners of the third and fourth quarters will face off in the other semifinal on the same day. The final will be played on Sunday, September 14.
FIBA has also confirmed the final placement of the teams eliminated prior to the round of 16. Those teams, who were classified based on their group position, overall record, and point differential, were ranked as follows:
- Spain (2-3 record, +43 point differential)
- Belgium (2-3, -40)
- Estonia (1-4, -45)
- Montenegro (1-4, -77)
- Great Britain (1-4, -130)
- Iceland (0-5, -76)
- Czechia (0-5, -96)
- Cyprus (0-5, -165)
While Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (Spain), Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (Montenegro), and Hawks guard Vit Krejci (Czechia) have been eliminated from the tournament and Wizards center Alex Sarr (France) and Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) have been ruled out due to injuries, the remaining 23 active NBA players in the tournament should all be in action this weekend.
Luke Adams contributed to this story.
28 Current NBA Players Competing In FIBA EuroBasket 2025
On the heels of the FIBA World Cup in 2023 and the Paris Olympics in 2024, the 2025 NBA offseason doesn’t feature a major international tournament in which the United States’ top stars are competing.
However, several of the league’s biggest names – including three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and five-time All-NBA first-teamer Luka Doncic – are taking part in FIBA EuroBasket 2025, which tipped off on Wednesday.
The tournament, also known as the European Basketball Championship, takes place every four years and features 24 European countries vying for a gold medal. The 24 teams who qualified for EuroBasket are split up into four groups and will face the other teams in their group across five games from August 27 to September 4.
At the end of group play, the top four teams from each group will advance to the knockout round, which is a single-elimination tournament featuring the remaining 16 countries.
By our count, 28 active NBA players are taking part in EuroBasket 2025, along with 30 former NBA players and several more who were selected in an NBA draft but have yet to play in the league.
Here’s the full list of current and former NBA players set to compete in EuroBasket, sorted by group and country:
Group A
Czechia (Czech Republic)
- Current NBA players: Vit Krejci (Hawks)
- Former NBA players: None
Estonia
- Current NBA players: None
- Former NBA players: Henri Drell
Latvia
- Current NBA players: Kristaps Porzingis (Hawks)
- Former NBA players: Davis Bertans, Dairis Bertans
Portugal
- Current NBA players: Neemias Queta (Celtics)
- Former NBA players: None
Serbia
- Current NBA players: Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Clippers), Nikola Jovic (Heat), Tristan Vukcevic (Wizards)
- Former NBA players: Vasilije Micic, Marko Guduric, Filip Petrusev
Serbia’s roster also includes Nikola Milutinov and Vanja Marinkovic, who are former NBA draft picks but have never played in the league.
Turkey
- Current NBA players: Alperen Sengun (Rockets), Adem Bona (Sixers)
- Former NBA players: Cedi Osman, Furkan Korkmaz, Shane Larkin, Omer Yurtseven, Onuralp Bitim
Group B
Finland
- Current NBA players: Lauri Markkanen (Jazz)
- Former NBA players: None
Germany
- Current NBA players: Franz Wagner (Magic), Dennis Schröder (Kings), Tristan Da Silva (Magic)
- Former NBA players: Daniel Theis, Isaac Bonga
Great Britain
- Current NBA players: None
- Former NBA players: Tarik Phillip
Lithuania
- Current NBA players: Jonas Valanciunas (Nuggets)
- Former NBA players: Deividas Sirvydis
Lithuania’s roster also includes Rokas Jokubaitis, a former NBA draft pick who has never played in the league, and Azuolas Tubelis, who was on a two-way contract with the Sixers during the 2023 offseason but was waived before the season began.
Montenegro
- Current NBA players: Nikola Vucevic (Bulls)
- Former NBA players: Marko Simonovic
Sweden
- Current NBA players: Pelle Larsson (Heat)
- Former NBA players: None
Group C
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Current NBA players: Jusuf Nurkic (Jazz)
- Former NBA players: None
Cyprus
- Current NBA players: None
- Former NBA players: None
Georgia
- Current NBA players: Goga Bitadze (Magic), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Raptors)
- Former NBA players: Tornike Shengelia
Greece
- Current NBA players: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Former NBA players: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Tyler Dorsey, Kostas Papanikolaou, Kostas Antetokounmpo
Italy
- Current NBA players: Simone Fontecchio (Heat)
- Former NBA players: Danilo Gallinari, Nicolo Melli
Italy’s roster also includes Matteo Spagnolo, Gabriele Procida, and Saliou Niang, who are former NBA draft picks but have never played in the league.
Spain
- Current NBA players: Santi Aldama (Grizzlies)
- Former NBA players: Willy Hernangomez, Juancho Hernangomez
Group D
Belgium
- Current NBA players: None
- Former NBA players: None
France
- Current NBA players: Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Guerschon Yabusele (Knicks), Alex Sarr (Wizards), Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards)
- Former NBA players: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Theo Maledon, Elie Okobo, Jaylen Hoard
France’s roster also includes Isaia Cordinier, a former NBA draft pick who has never played in the league.
Iceland
- Current NBA players: None
- Former NBA players: None
Israel
- Current NBA players: Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
- Former NBA players: None
Israel’s roster also includes Yam Madar, a former NBA draft pick who has never played in the league.
Poland
- Current NBA players: None
- Former NBA players: Jordan Loyd
Slovenia
- Current NBA players: Luka Doncic (Lakers)
- Former NBA players: None
Jazz Trade Collin Sexton To Hornets For Jusuf Nurkic
8:44 pm: The trade is official, according to press releases issued by both the Jazz and Hornets.
2:15 pm: The Jazz and Hornets have agreed to a trade that will send guard Collin Sexton and a 2030 second-round pick to Charlotte, with center Jusuf Nurkic headed to Utah, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 2030 pick headed to Charlotte will be the most favorable of the Jazz’s and Clippers’ second-rounders, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
Sexton, 26, spent four years in Cleveland before being signed-and-traded to Utah in 2022’s Donovan Mitchell deal. He has played for the Jazz for the past three seasons, averaging 18.4 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game in 63 contests (61 starts) in 2024/25.
The Hornets had reportedly been on the lookout for a veteran guard to back up point guard LaMelo Ball. While Sexton is more of a combo guard than a traditional point guard, he can handle the ball and is a pretty efficient scorer — he posted a shooting line of .480/.406/.865 this past season.
The move does further deplete Charlotte’s frontcourt after the club previously agreed to trade Mark Williams to Phoenix. That position figures to be an area the Hornets focus on in free agency, since they’re unlikely to enter the season with Moussa Diabate and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner as their top two options in the middle.
As for the Jazz, they’ll be adding a physical veteran center to their frontcourt, with Charania suggesting (via Twitter) that Nurkic is a player they like. The 30-year-old appeared in a total of 51 games last season for Phoenix and Charlotte, averaging 8.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 20.8 minutes per night.
Nurkic will join Walker Kessler and Kyle Filipowski on Utah’s depth chart at center. Meanwhile, moving Sexton may open up more playing time for the Jazz’s young guards, including newly drafted rookie Walter Clayton Jr.
Both Sexton and Nurkic are on expiring contracts in 2025/26. They’ll both be eligible for extensions in July and would become unrestricted free agents in 2026 if they don’t sign new deals before then. Sexton will earn approximately $18.98MM (with another $500K in unlikely bonuses) next season, while Nurkic will make about $19.38MM.
Suns Rumors: Budenholzer, Beal, Booker, Durant, Coaching Candidates
Detailing some of the issues that led to Mike Budenholzer‘s ouster in Phoenix, NBA insider Chris Haynes (YouTube link) reports that Budenholzer told Bradley Beal earlier in the season that he wanted him to play more like Jrue Holiday.
That was “not well-received” by the three-time All-Star, Haynes says, and Phoenix-based insider John Gambadoro confirms as much. According to Gambadoro (Twitter link), Beal responded by telling Budenholzer, “Don’t ever disrespect me like that. Don’t ever tell me to play like another player.”
Communication with his players was a recurring issue for Budenholzer in Phoenix, per Haynes, who says the veteran head coach also butted heads with Jusuf Nurkic by criticizing his screening ability and telling him he’s a “bad teammate.” Haynes previously reported that Budenholzer told Devin Booker to “tone it down vocally” during games and film sessions, which ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirms.
Booker began speaking to reporters more late in the season about the importance of his “voice,” which was intentional, sources tell ESPN. As Windhorst explains, Booker appeared to be sending a message to a coach on his way out and making it clear he’ll have more say going forward.
“[I need] to be a leader and use my voice more,” Booker said last week. Asked if he was referring to speaking to teammates, coaches, or management, the star guard added, “Everybody.”
Here’s more out of Phoenix:
- The Suns have privately acknowledged they made a mistake by not involving Kevin Durant and his manager/agent Rich Kleiman when they explored trade possibilities involving Durant prior to February’s deadline, Windhorst writes. The front office wanted to keep discussions closed like Dallas did with Luka Doncic, Windhorst explains, but word leaked after the Suns had to talk to possible third-team facilitators. All parties will be involved in that process during the offseason, with Kleiman planning to travel to Phoenix this week to have discussions with the Suns, sources tell ESPN.
- While it may be a challenge for the Suns to find an appealing trade with a team willing to extend Durant, it’s possible there will be potential suitors who are OK with taking on the risk of acquiring the star forward as a one-year rental, says Windhorst. “Durant is a top-three name in this league,” a high-ranking NBA official told ESPN. “I can see a team who’d love to have him for a season just to sell tickets.”
- Booker will be eligible this season for a two-year, maximum-salary extension and the expectation is that the Suns will put that offer on the table, sources tell ESPN. Windhorst refers to that potential deal – which would lock up Booker through 2029/30 – as being worth $149.8MM, but that’s just a projection for now, based on the cap increasing by the maximum 10% in each of the next four seasons.
- After letting go of former head coach Monty Williams, Suns owner Mat Ishbia was “very focused” on hiring a replacement with a championship on his résumé, which was a major factor in the team choosing Frank Vogel in 2023 and Budenholzer in 2024, Windhorst writes. This time around, the team may prioritize a candidate who is better suited to build relationships with players, according to Windhorst, who hears from sources that Ishbia will be paying former Suns coaches about $18MM next season.
- According to Haynes (YouTube link), the Suns are expected to “look into and evaluate” the following head coaching candidates as they decide who they want to try to interview: former Kings coach Mike Brown, current Pelicans coach Willie Green, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant, Mavericks assistants Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley, Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, their own assistant David Fizdale, and former Suns assistant (and current BYU head coach) Kevin Young. That may not be a comprehensive list of candidates for the job.
- In a pair of stories for GoPHNX.com, Gerald Bourguet takes a closer look at why Budenholzer was fired and lists 10 potential candidates to replace him.